Postcard - A Day Trip to the Tarot Garden

Angie Brooksby (tuscanartist)

July 2005 - a very hot day. A day trip from Baratti, on the Tuscan coast
between Livorno and Grosseto, where we were vacationing, to Niki de Saint
Phalle's Tarot Garden in southern Tuscany near the coast, with some swimming,
shopping and eating.

Down the coast to Orbetello

We left Baratti late; it was already 10am, too late to start a day trip
on a sweltering summer day. Baratti is where we spend our summer vacation
eating out of our vegetable garden and enjoying the seaside, but I wanted
to go to the Tarot Garden having only seen it in photographs.

After finishing canning more tomatoes (it seems that all we have done this
summer is can tomatoes) we left with the minimal necessary for a day away:
our swimsuits; my only shoes, a pair of flip-flops - I had forgotten to bring
my shoes from Florence a few days earlier; bug spray; and dog food to feed
Lira, our Jack Russell. We were planning to eat out somewhere for dinner.

Luckily the air conditioning in the car had been fixed. From Baratti we
drove south along the Aurelia (N. 1) for an hour until we reached the southern
side of the Lagoon of Orbetello (southern Tuscany). We thought that we would
take a dip in the water before eating lunch. We had to do something until
2:30pm when the Tarot Garden opens.

Once off of the Aurelia, the closest beach with a monument marked on the
map was Ansedonia. The name sounded nice and the DeAgostini atlas marked a
monument with the words "tagliata etrusca". I thought that sounded
cool, so I directed my husband on to some narrow road that wound around the
manmade pools where they raise sea bass. The Lagoon of Orbetello is famous
for raising sea fish. Most of it tastes like raised trout. We stopped to take
a few photographs of the implant then headed toward the beach.

After a few kilometers we found a parking lot where it was obvious we were
to park. We drove ahead anyway to see how far the beach was and if we could
casually leave the car somewhere else. The beach was within walking distance
but there was absolutely no parking allowed except in the parking lot so we
drove back there and asked if we could pay for only an hour because all we
wanted to do was cool off. There was no point in sunbathing in the boiling
sun. When I talked to the cute young man at the parking lot, he showed me
a thermometer that said 34C with 90% humidity.
The Lagoon of Orbetello was making itself felt and the scirocco wind
was bringing that African heat that makes people do crazy things.

My husband put the car in the sun because the only place in the shade was
too isolated and we didn't want to risk a break-in after we read the giant
sign that said they weren't responsible for any damage to vehicles or stolen
items. Then we grabbed our ragged beach bag and some water for our dog and
started walking.

Just outside of the parking lot was the entrance to a forest with the sign
"Riserva Forestale Duna di Feniglia" that showed bike trails leading through
the forest and onto the beach and also indicated a Roman ruin. The sign said
that dogs were allowed on leashes. We headed into the wooded area and started
walking thinking that it would be the same as going to the beach via the road.
After walking and walking and sweating like pigs we realized that we were
getting no where and that the beach was anywhere but here. We knew that it
was just over to the left but there was no access to it because of these fences.
Suddenly in an opening we saw a group of deer that were near to the road/trail,
one was even laying on the trail. We then realized why there were fences.
There were some people feeding bread to the deer. Our dog was really scared
because the deer weren't escaping, she'll chase something if it runs but if
it is bigger than her and just sits there, she's scared. I took some photos
and we headed back in the direction that we had come from. It was so hot and
humid we thought that we might melt.

After exiting the Forest of Feniglia we walked the short distance to the
very pretty beach that lines the dune, Tombolo di Feniglia, all the way to
Monte Argentario. By this time it was 11am and the sun was high.

Swimming with a shark at Tombolo di Feniglia!!

The sand was blistering and we had left the umbrella in the car. We sat
next to a fence made of cane that surrounded a beach area with umbrellas to
get some shade for our dog and us. While my husband changed into his bathing
suit wriggling around in a beach towel so that no one could see him naked
I took Lira to get her wet. Then my husband went for a swim while I waited
with the dog in the shade of a fence. He came back refreshed to watch the
dog and I wore my flip-flops down to the water so as to not burn my feet on
the hot sand and went for a swim with my flip-flops in my hands.

The water was much cooler than Baratti but no where as transparent. It
was shallow and sandy and there were some waves. I was about shoulder deep
in the surf near to some other people when I saw a giant fish in the water
that I swear was a shark; it was at least a meter long with a flat head and
a wide mouth. I screamed and thought that I might die, then swatted the water
near to me when something else made bubbles, my faithful flip-flops acting
as my weapon. Then I exited the water as fast as possible trying not to seem
agitated because they say you shouldn't panic - the predator gets excited.

I went back to my husband who watched me freaking out and imagined that
there was a jellyfish near by. He only teased me when I told him I'd seen
a shark. We dried off and I photographed the umbrellas of the organized part
of the beach. Then I went to get the car while my husband waited for me with
the panting dog in the sun. We were dissolving in the heat and our stomachs
were growling. It was time for lunch. We thought that we would look for a
shaded area for our picnic, maybe in the hills.

Trying to have a picnic lunch

A small road was marked on the map that showed the town of Ansedonia. We
started driving up a hill and found ourselves surrounded by private villas
with tall fences making the sea impossible to see. At one point we thought
we weren't getting anywhere so we asked some man along the road where Ansedonia
was. "Here!" he spit out. We parked the car that was just starting to cool
off and got out in the blistering heat to visit Ansedonia but there was nothing
there, only a cafe. I walked inside the cafe and stopped. Everyone looked
at me lazily.

After a few moments of mutual staring I asked, in Italian of course, "Where
is Ansedonia?" "Here," several people responded. "The whole town is just a
bar?" They all laughed and consented.

I didn't know what to do. We wanted to get some cheese to accompany our
homegrown melon so looked around some more then asked them if they sold cheese
or salami. They directed me to the little store that was hidden just next
to the bar. After I bought a slice of pure sheep pecorino we got back in the
car to look for some shade, preferably on a hill.

Just up the road was the sight of the Etruscan ruins but we were so hot
and just wanted to leave this place that we didn't bother to stop. We drove
up some more and then down to Cosa, a village on the beach of a few houses,
just south of Ansedonia, with a beautiful old construction that looks like
a fort. When we saw a sign for a beach called "Lo Spacco Della Regina," we
almost peed ourselves laughing. This translates to something like: the Queen's
gap.

Onwards to Capalbio

We were too hot to stop there and just wanted to leave so we decided to
go to Capalbio. We could see it up on the hill. Finally we found the road
to Capalbio that is easy to access just off of the Aurelia but we were on
some side road that looked like it came out of the 1930's and drove for ever
until we went under the train tracks into Capablio Scalo. Once on the right
road we stopped to get some fuel. The man at the gas station told us his whole
life story in a nutshell while he pumped our gas. We thanked him then drove
up to Capalbio to find some shade with our hungry stomachs making the tension
in the car grow fierce. We were starting to fight.

Finally we made it into Capalbio and parked at the first "DO NOT PARK HERE"
place because there was a lovely overlook with a large pine and a fountain
with a sculpture by Niki di Saint Phalle and we were not going any further.
All of the benches in the shade were half occupied so we pinned out one guy
to try to overtake half of his bench but it was covered with dove excrement.
I was grossed and had not had time to wash the sand off of my feet and my
husband was angry and just wanted to eat; we looked like two madonnas frowning
at each other.

Finally some kind man stood up and left us his bench. We sat and ate our
home grown melon and tomatoes and peppers with the delicious sheep cheese
that I'd bought in Ansedonia. I photographed the fountain with our dog. The
air seemed to cool, the wind was changing direction from scirocco to maestrale
and we relaxed on the bench under the big umbrella pine. I even fell asleep
for a few seconds until Lira attacked someone. She likes to scare people,
suddenly jumping at them and barking. If they don't scare, which is most of
the time, she pretends like nothing happened.

I saw a fountain in the sun across the square and got up to wash the sand
off of my feet. I took one step when my flip-flop fell apart. What was I to
do? I had only these flip-flops. My husband went to the car and pulled out
this piece of rough twine and repaired my cheesy flip-flop with a big knot
of plain twine between my toes. It was pretty ugly and uncomfortable but I
didn't have any choice. We got up and took a walk around Capalbio and I photographed
almost every angle. All of the houses seemed dark and uninhabited but there
was someone inside each of them - we could hear that they were all watching
the same television program: Elisa di Rivombrosa.

It was still pretty darn hot and too early for the Tarot Garden so we found
a cafe to sit at where my husband had a beer and I a coffee. We noticed that
there were more cafes and restaurants in Capalbio than any other kind of activity.
Capablio is a place where many politicians and VIPs go for the weekends from
Rome. Many of them have villas in Ansedonia.

To the Giardino dei Tarocchi (Tarot Garden)

Finally we began the descent to Pescia Fiorentina where the Giardino dei
Tarocchi was. We pulled into the large parking lot that was filled with cars
with German and Swiss plates. Luckily dogs are allowed on leashes. Lira almost
always refuses to walk on the leash but it was so hot she wasn't protesting.
I could see the figures of the Tarot Garden reflecting their joyous light
above the tree tops.

We made our way to the entry designed by Mario Botta and paid, then walked
up. The Tarot Garden is almost indescribable; you just have to see it - to
walk around in it. Every piece of mosaic on all the sculptures is a work of
art in itself. The combinations of colors are multiple and change in mood.
The custodians watch as people interact climbing and touching and even wetting
their hair in the fountains. I took lots of photos but to my dismay the battery
on my digital camera started to fade. I completely forgot about the twine
knot that held my flip-flop together. I was in awe of the passion and work
that had gone into the creation and realization of this place.

The wind had definitely changed and the air was cooling off but we were
thirsty so after thoroughly visiting the garden and shopping for a book we
went to the little kiosk in the parking lot to have a drink.

Shopping in Grosseto

From the Tarot Garden we thought that we would head back north and stop
in Grosseto for a pizza. I thought that I would try to find a pair of shoes
seeing as how the summer sales had started. Just inside the walls of Grosseto
we met a woman that had a Jack Russell. She told us her dog's life story and
then told me where I might find some shoes. I went into the store she indicated
while my husband asked her about a good pizzeria.

I didn't like that store so found another and as soon as I walked in tried
on a pair of shoes that fit perfectly, were light weight and the right price.
I was so embarrassed by the waif-on-the-beach look that I presented with my
repaired flip-flops, I told the woman at the counter that my shoes had been
stolen on the beach. She didn't blink an eye but did look me up and down with
scorn.

I was happy at that point but my rare need to shop was turned on by the
pretty shops, the summer sales with excellent prices in the pretty town of
Grosseto. I hadn't been there since 1986 and was very impressed. It is clean,
lively, and safe feeling. Florence is not that way anymore. I took a few photos
of some old church and a beautiful facade. We walked a block down the street
and I already had blisters on my pinkie toes so I had to look for a pharmacy
to buy some band aids.

Pizza for dinner

Finally after exasperating my husband and the dog, who had waited for me
to do some shopping, we left Grosseto. On the recommendation of the woman
with the Jack Russell we went a few kilometers to Bagno Roselle to find the
pizzeria Renzo e Lucia.

I think that this pizzeria is the cleanest restaurant that I have ever
eaten in, anywhere. The owners are originally from Naples or near there. The
restaurant is on the main road with a nice terrace with a view of the road
and some ugly houses. Tractors filled with local produce drive past. There
are tables inside and out with lots of locals and some northern European tourists.

We ordered a plate of marinated mussels and a few beers. I took photographs
of the mussels in the dying sunlight that at this point was bearable. The
mussels were so good that we ordered another round. Then the pizza came. It
was one of the best pizzas I've had outside of Naples, ever. Even though it
had too much mozzarella di bufala for my taste it was so good that I ate the
whole thing anyway, then later felt ill from having over eaten. We ordered
a few more beers and I went to photograph the bathroom.